Thammasat University law professor Prinya Thaewanarumitkul and his alliance on Wednesday submitted 30,000 signatures to the justice reform committee in support of the “No poor people in jail” campaign.

Prof Prinya said every charter guarantees the rights of defendants until their case is final. For that reason, defendants – especially the poor – should be free until the verdict is delivered.

At present, the freedom of defendants is guaranteed by bail placement, but many poor people don’t have the money to post bail and as such are jailed while their cases proceed.

As many as 66,000 people are in jail because they cannot post bail, Prof Prinya noted.

Prof Prinya said the bail system could increase injustice. Also, the posting of bail does not guarantee that those defendants would stay in the country to fight their cases.

Campaigners propose that a proper assessment of a defendant’s flight risk be carried out instead of the current system.

Pol Lt-General Amnuay Nim-mano, of the reform committee, said the proposal was in line with the committee’s direction on the issue of bail lodgement.